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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24415780">Pilgrimage</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyperion327/pseuds/Hyperion327'>Hyperion327</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Blood and Gore, Did I mention dinosaurs? Cause there's freakin' DINOSAURS, Dinosaurs, Extremely Blatant Environmentalist Message, F/M, Family Feels, Intrigue, M/M, Mystery, Terra Nova - Freeform, Time Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:07:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24415780</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyperion327/pseuds/Hyperion327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In 2167, the world is dangerously overpopulated and stands on the brink of complete collapse. The only hope for humanity's survival lies through a rift in time to a place eighty-five million years in the past. Called Terra Nova, this lost world represents a new beginning for the human race. </p><p>When Doctor Claudia Stilinski and her family journey to the colony as part of the Tenth Pilgrimage, it marks the beginning of a time of trial, tribulation, and a pivotal battle for the fate of the human race, for there are covetous eyes which watch Terra Nova, and they view the colony, led by Commander Talia Hale, as little more than a speed bump on the road to their success.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Claudia Stilinski/Sheriff Stilinski, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Isaac Lahey/Scott McCall, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Tenth Pilgrimage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, Terra Nova was a fucking great show that only ran for one season, and it's available for free on Amazon Prime through IMDb TV, so go watch it. This story will follow that general arc, but I have plans for what comes after the series' cliffhanger finale.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>2165</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The dusty air moves in lazy eddies around John as he steps back into the tower he calls his home. He clutches the pack that carries his prize within his hands, wary of any potential pickpockets who would steal the precious cargo he carries. Sixteen years as a cop in San Francisco have taught him to be ever vigilant, especially when he’s holding something so important. He relaxes as the airlock on the elevator seals itself and drains away the poisonous external air, slipping off his rebreather and sighing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John looks down into his pack, ensuring that his cargo is still there and still in fine condition, which he still cannot </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe </span>
  </em>
  <span>he got his hands on. The lift stops, its indicator listing </span>
  <em>
    <span>42, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and he nearly sprints back to the apartment. Placing his hand against the biometric lock, he hurries his way through the foyer, bounding into the kitchen with a wide grin on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claudia’s head snaps up from where she’s looking at her plex, smiling as she sees the look on his face. “What’s got you so happy?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Kids, kitchen!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>John calls. “Everybody’s gonna wanna see this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scott is the first in, oxygen mask dangling delicately over his face, while Stiles follows only seconds later, balancing Liam on his hip. “What’s up, Dad?” His eldest asks, bouncing his toddler brother lightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He does not answer, but rather, dumps the contents of the bag onto the sterile white countertop with a flourish. Out roll ten apples, glinting pristine red, stems still attached. The entire family lets out noises of utter disbelief, rushing to gather up the precious fruit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scott lets out a stunned laugh that morphs into a cough. “Dad, where did you get these?!”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was a raid on a stratocutter that crossed the DMZ, they were smuggling all sorts of produce out of the Republic to sell on the black market. Since we caught the sting, the whole department got everything from bananas to celery.” He replies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean they’re…” Stiles trails, awestruck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Real apples? Grown in the dome orchards back in New York?” Claudia finishes for him, holding one of the fruits like it’ll vanish if she dares set it down for a second. “I haven’t had one of these since before the war.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John makes a proud noise. “New York apples, yep.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See this, Liam?” The eldest of their sons asks, holding up an apple. “It’s an apple. Can you say apple?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ap-</span>
  <em>
    <span>ple.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The toddler over-pronounces the second syllable, but the meaning is there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles grins proudly, bumping it against his younger brother’s nose. “I’ll cut it up so you can have a slice.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do we even still have an apple slicer?” Claudia asks, mostly to herself as she rummages through the drawers. “I went on that cleaning spree a few months back, remember? Might’ve gotten rid of it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John shrugs. “We can always just use a knife.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Guys,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Scott rasps from where he’s watching the video monitor into the hallway, “We have a problem! Pop control!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At once, the joy from the room vanishes, and the Stilinskis break into action. Claudia rushes over to gather her youngest from Stiles, before carrying him across the room to the air vent, removing the grate and sliding him. “Remember, Liam, gotta be really quiet, right? Be a good boy for Mommy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Liam is hidden, John slides the apples back into his bag and stows it in an overhead cabinet. Scott positions his oxygen concentrator in front of the grate, while Stiles scrambles to answer the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Population check, we’ve had reports of an oversized family in this building.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>A harsh voice breaks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Stiles says, “Come right in.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A strict-looking man in a black uniform marches in, trailed by two police officers in full tactical gear. The patch on the officer’s arm shows four figures holding hands, two adults and two children, with the top reading </span>
  <em>
    <span>POPULATION POLICE, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and the bottom </span>
  <em>
    <span>A FAMILY IS FOUR. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Officer Stilinski? Agent Ennis, Population Police.” He says, holding out a hand. “I’m sure you understand this is all a formality. Obviously, a man of the law wouldn’t dream of breaking the one rule that keeps us from extinction.” There’s a clear threat in the words. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John nods. “Of course. My wife is an accomplished doctor and scientist, we both understand the consequences of overpopulation.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Search the place.” Ennis orders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The officers break from their formation, overturning furniture, opening the lower cabinets and checking the various rooms of the apartment. It’s a horrendously tense few minutes, but just as it seems to be done, one of the officers bumps into Scott’s oxygen concentrator, forcing it against the metal grate over Liam’s hiding spot. with an enormous bang. Immediately, a terrified cry echoes out of the duct, and John and Claudia give twin sighs of disappointment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Agent Ennis strides over to the duct, ripping the cover off and hurling it across the room. “Come here, you little shit!” He snarls, and Liam begins to scream, fleeing deeper into the air vent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t touch him!” John shouts, bounding across the room and yanking the agent backwards, before throwing a hard punch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“John!” Claudia screams. “John, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Another one of the officers immediately flicks his stun baton to life, lashing the electric staff over the Stilinski patriarch’s back. He falls to the ground with a shout like a puppet whose strings have been cut, while Ennis stands over him, heaving as he wipes a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God, you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>no </span>
  </em>
  <span>idea how bad you just fucked up.” He spits. “Take him, and file the report on the thirdling.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the end, the Stilinski family is left with a captive father, a ransacked apartment, and nothing but ten apples smuggled from across the Mississippi to show for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <b>2167</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Five minutes, Doc,” The guard says as he guides Claudia into the cell block, “And only because you helped my kid.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Five minutes is all I need. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She replies, rushing over to the filthy plexiglass that forms the portal to her husband’s cell, with only a thin opening to slide food through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When John looks at her, it’s with half-crazed disbelief. “Clauds…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, sweetheart.” She says, tearing up, “We don’t have long, but… but I brought you this.” Claudia holds out a rebreather, pointing to the soft fabric lining with her eyes and stroking it with her thumb as she hands it over. “I can’t believe they aren’t filtering the air in here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He goes to answer, but only begins hacking out a brutal cough. It takes him a few seconds to recover, but eventually, he’s able to speak. “We’re just prisoners, we don’t matter.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shakes her head. “That’s not true, don’t talk like that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John nods, but his face is unconvinced. “How, uh, how are the kids?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, they’re… you know, they miss their father. Stiles got his first job, he’s a lab assistant at Phoenix Nanorobotics, and he just loves it. Liam’s growing up so fast, and since the fines were all paid off, they’ve cleared him in time for kindergarten.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Scott?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Scott… his asthma’s getting worse. He’s been diagnosed with COPD, too. He can’t leave the house without a fully sealed rebreather.” She says sadly. “I need to tell you something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” He asks, now afraid. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been contacted by the recruitment people for Terra Nova.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her husband’s face goes slack. “T-Terra Nova? Claudia, that’s, that’s incredible. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to go, I mean-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They won’t let me bring Liam.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Claudia sighs. “The people said we can’t be rewarded for breaking the law, so… Liam won’t be allowed to come. It’s me, Stiles, and Scott, or no one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you going to do?” John asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guard’s voice breaks. “Someone’s coming, we need to go.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m counting on you, Johnny.” She whispers. “You know what you need to do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With another gesture towards the rebreather she handed him, Claudia pulls John’s hands into hers. “I love you.” He says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too. Remember, I’m counting on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And like that, she is gone, swept away with only the scent of her perfume still floating in the air. Grabbing the rebreather, John feels along the seams of it, until he finds the false pocket. Out falls a small metal object, the rough size of a pen, with an opening on one end and a button on the side. He points at the edge of his cot, pressing the button, and immediately, a small blue beam shoots out, and the laser saws through two inches of metal in an instant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a disbelieving chuckle, he stows the handheld cutter. “Clauds, you evil genius…” He mutters.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Welcome, members of the Tenth Pilgrimage, to Hope Plaza,’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>The soothing female PA voice announces, </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Your arrival at Terra Nova will bring the total population of the colony to 10,406. Please note, the Santonian Period’s oxygen content was fifteen percent higher than ours is now. As a result, many of you will suffer from hyperoxic symptoms upon arrival. This is perfectly normal.’ </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles and Scott walk alongside one another, the elder keeping a hand on the small of his brother’s back in order to guide him along as he wears his full-face sealed rebreather. They’ve yet to pass through the barrier into the clean air of the interior, leaving Scott minutes away from suffocation should he breathe the particulates outside. Claudia marches ahead of them both, bearing her badge to the security in the entryway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dr. Stilinski, it’s a pleasure.” One of the techs says. “They’re very excited for your arrival in Terra Nova.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nods. “Likewise, we’re very excited to come.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boys show their badges, and then they’re swept inside among the flowing crowds that lead to the terminus and Terra Nova beyond. Slipping off their rebreathers, the family deposits them in a bin, as they won’t be needed where they’re going. After all, eighty-five million years ago, oxygen levels were much higher. Even Scott, as damaged as his lungs are by centuries of pollution, will suffer only the slightest amount of shortness of breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walk along a long tunnel that is framed by a cage where well-wishers can say goodbye, when a female voice calls out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Scott!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He turns, and a familiar head of dark hair and delicate features is there. Scott rushes over, grabbing her hands through the bars. “Allison! What are you doing here?!” He enthuses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I managed to get in thanks to a friend who does cleanup here. I miss you already.” She says, tears brimming even as she smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll find a way to get you here,” He vows, “Even if I have to come back and get you myself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allison shakes her head. “It’s a one-way trip, you know that. Go, Scott, and have a wonderful life. I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too.” He says it like </span>
  <em>
    <span>See you later, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and she says it like </span>
  <em>
    <span>Goodbye.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He makes his way back over to his family, finding Stiles and Claudia in an intense, hushed discussion. “… Said he’d be here.” Stiles hisses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to have faith in your father,” She replies tersely, “He’ll get to us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scott looks around, noticing that they’re getting closer to the terminus. “Guys, c’mon, we gotta go.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They keep marching, eventually reaching an enormous chamber at the heart of Hope Plaza, an area easily the size of a football stadium, with a lone bridge leading across its massive maw, leading to the glowing light of the portal into the ancient past. Just before they step onto the bridge, a hand claps down on Scott’s shoulder, and he turns around to see his father’s face shining with an indiscernible mix of emotions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“John, thank God.” Claudia sighs as they mix into the flow of the crowd. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad?” Stiles asks, “Is it really…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John nods. “Yeah, buddy. C’mon, we gotta go.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The reunited family keeps walking along the bridge, their eyes forward facing even as they are extremely cognizant of the countless armed guards around them. Just as they reach the end, however, one of the security forces looks towards the fugitive Stilinski with suspicion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clauds, take the package,” He orders, sliding his pack to his wife. “And </span>
  <em>
    <span>keep. Moving.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A guard steps forward, grabbing John’s arm. “Sir, I need you to come with me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad!” Scott protests, but he raises a hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, guys, keep going.” He replies, following after the guards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they near the portal, Stiles feels his anxiety spike. “Mom, I… I can’t, not without Dad.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Go, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Stiles.” Claudia sternly instructs. “You have to. Your father and I will be right behind you. Boys, you have to trust him, he will find a way.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both nod, and the last ones ahead of them step into the blinding light of the temporal anomaly. An agent steps forward, addressing them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s very normal to feel confused upon transition and arrival. Medical staff </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>be waiting for you, just try and sit down if you need to.” He instructs. “Safe journeys.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles steps up first, looking back at his mother, who gives an encouraging nod, and he steps forward, vanishing in a flash. Scott reaches back, grasping Claudia’s hand once, and then strides up to the anomaly without any hesitation, another flash signifying his journey into the deep past. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claudia takes a deep, steadying breath, and turns around, taking in her last sights of the only world she’s ever known. She spots John, detained only fifty or so feet away, and locks eyes.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Do it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She mouths, and with a final longing glance, she steps up to the light, and is gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John, for his part, seeing her gone, gives up his placid arguments against the security detail who say they spotted him in a restricted area, which, </span>
  <em>
    <span>duh, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he had to smuggle the package in somehow. He slides his weapon out from the waistband that his coat has hidden, and smashes the pistol against the guard’s face, knocking him out in a single blow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes off in a dead sprint, ignoring the cries of those around him, shoving without heed as he makes his way towards his family. He pushes aside the last guard, and-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s home fucking free, and the world is nothing but white until it’s not, and overhead the sky is too blue and the trees are too green, and what the fuck is happening? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>85,000,000 BCE</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir!” Someone cries. “Sir, you’re- </span>
  <em>
    <span>gun!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>John whips around, spotting his family, and rushing over. The soldier next to them raises his weapon, but he’s faster, smacking it out of his hand. “Keep away from my family!” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Put it down!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Another soldier orders, and suddenly, he’s back to himself, skittering to the ground and throwing his weapon aside, holding his hands up in surrender. “Check that pack for more weapons!” She barks, gesturing to the package.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When one of the security pulls out a knife and approaches, the entire Stilinski family lets out a simultaneous cry of </span>
  <em>
    <span>“No!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> and scrambles over, unzipping the pack. In what feels like slow motion, Claudia tears it open, and eases out the prize inside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liam, a rebreather dangling over his face, clings desperately to his mother, while the others crowd around, forming a human barrier to protect the two. The woman who has been giving orders’ eyes go wide as she takes in the sight, but she gestures for the soldiers to lower their weapons. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What exactly is going on here?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right, two stowaways, both male, an adult and a five year-old.” She says into her comm. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Copy, Lieutenant Morrell, bring them back to base.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>A voice from command back in the colony orders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, the immensely-relieved Stilinski family marches along the path with the rest of the colonists of the Tenth Pilgrimage. Scott makes a massive show of taking in deep breaths without difficulty, practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>dancing </span>
  </em>
  <span>as they walk. While the rest of the family is still somewhat nauseous as they recover from the worst of their hyperoxia, he’s breathing free and clear for the first time in his life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think they’ll do?” Claudia asks John, balancing Liam on her hip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugs. “They can’t send us back, it’s a one-way trip. Liam is just a kid, so they won’t do anything to him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” John sighs. “Better to die a free man breathing clean air, though.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scowls. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> talk like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The conversation is interrupted by a distant explosion, followed by the most ferocious roar that any of the colonists have ever heard. One of the Terra Novans gives a dark chuckle. “Allosaur must’ve tripped a sonic mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Allosaur,” Scott says, no longer quite so joyous, “That the meat-eating kind?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles nods, looking thoroughly fascinated, peering through the thick jungle foliage as if he hopes to spot one of the deadly beasts in the forest. “Yep, that’s the meat-eating kind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not long after, they clear the treeline, and the colony of Terra Nova comes into view. The entire town is built as a massive circle, with a great wood-slat fence that is dotted by watchtowers at even intervals. The buildings are all low and modern, with wide windows that offer vistas of the colony, and directly ahead, beyond the open gate, is a wooden building clearly built much differently than the rest of the colony. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patrol soldiers riding in armored Jeeps drive by them, waving eagerly and honking their horns, offering cries of welcome as the new colonists file into the plaza ahead of the command post. Once they’re all in, the massive gate drops down, sealing the people within the safety of the walls of Terra Nova. There’s a moment of relative quiet among the two hundred or so colonists, before the doors on the second floor of the building open, and a woman steps out onto the balcony overlooking the plaza. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cuts a striking figure, her hair pulled back into a tight bun, wearing plain black armor with the flag of Terra Nova patched on the left shoulder. Her freckled skin is tanned by years in the sun, and her eyes are dark and inquisitive. The woman stares out over the crowd for a moment, before breaking into a welcoming grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Citizens of 2167,” She says in a warm, husky voice, “My name is Commander Talia Hale, but you probably know that. The world we left behind fell victim to the baser instincts of our species, to war, greed, and ignorance. Simply put, we blew it. But, through divine providence or just sheer dumb luck, we’ve been given a second chance to get things right. Each and every one of us stands at the dawn of a new civilization. No pressure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crowd breaks into chuckles, and Commander Hale continues. “Terra Nova represents our best and only hope at the survival of the human race. The choices we make today will determine whether or not we have a chance at a future. However, today is a happy day, one that deserves celebration and time to settle in. So, my fellow Terra Novans, I welcome you home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a moment of applause, and the woman from earlier, Lieutenant Morrell, marches over to John and Claudia, leaning in close. “Hale wants a word with you. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Without </span>
  </em>
  <span>the children.” She says. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stiles,” Claudia calls to her eldest, “Take Liam. We’ll be right back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the crowd breaks apart to be escorted to their new homes, the Stilinskis are marched up the outside staircase into the command center’s upper level, which apparently is Commander Hale’s office. The space is decorated with minimalist modern art, white canvases that have only black brush strokes, and comfortable looking seats, square and made of plush, heather grey fabric. The desk, however, is what is most eye-catching. The surface of the secretary is a plain sheet of glass, which is itself a statement, but rather than legs, the glass is held on top of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>skull </span>
  </em>
  <span>of a tyrannosaur. Commander Hale herself sits at her desk, feet propped up on the glass and a plex in her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doctor Claudia Stilinski… Masters in medicine from UCLA, doctorates in virology, immunology, pulmonology and about six other “ologies” that I don’t even know what they are from Stanford, two years pro-bono trauma work at I Help The Poor People General… and see, what’s interesting here is that your dossier says that your husband is serving a six year bit at Golad Prison, and yet, here he stands.” She says, laying her tablet out and locking probing eyes on the couple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John steps forward, speaking. “Look, Claudia and the kids had no idea-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zip it. Man doesn’t make it out of Golad without help from the outside. You were locked up for decking a pop control officer after you got caught with a third kid.” Hale barks. “What I can’t make sense of is why a couple of accomplished individuals, one of the best doctors in San Francisco and a man said to be SFPD’s finest officer, would break the rules like that, bring another child into that world.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Claudia says. “And I don’t regret having Liam.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“‘A good idea’? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lord, I guess you have to be pretty crazy to wanna come here, but damn, that’s just nuts. The thing is, I don’t give a fuck about population laws from another world. What I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>care about is whether or not a person is useful to this colony. Now, a doctor, that’s someone we need. Even an extra kid can come in handy, add genetic diversity to our very limited breeding pool. But a washed up cop and fugitive of the law?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Commander Hale, please…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Talia raises a hand. “Go find your kids, Doc. I’d like to talk to your husband in private.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claudia looks to John, who nods. “Go. I’ll be there soon.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She departs, and the commander looks to him. “I wouldn’t make promises you can’t keep. I oughta throw your ass outside the gates with a pack and a gun and tell you good luck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, what you ought to do is give me a badge and a gun and let me do what I’m good at. Terra Nova is about a fresh start, right? Well, a civilian police force is kinda important to a place that bills itself as new freedom.” He argues.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grabs her plex from the desk, thumbing through it for a moment, before looking up. “Agricultural duty lost a man a few days ago, some idiot decided to climb a tower and fell, broke his neck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John snickers. “According to my son, I have the opposite of a green thumb.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I suggest you make it work with ag duty, or you can make it work outside the gates.” Hale snarls. “You’re dismissed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am.” He mutters, walking back outside. Immediately, he is accosted by his family, before raising his hands to calm them. “I’ve been assigned agricultural duty.” He explains. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A young man in uniform steps up to them. “Folks, my name is Lieutenant Derek Hale, I’ve been asked to escort you to your new home.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hale…” Claudia trails, “As in?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My mother.” He nods, and the resemblance is plain. He has much of his mother’s features, but the seafoam eyes are definitely not hers. The Stilinskis trail after him, and Derek gives a perfunctory tour of the colony as they walk. “Your kits are in the newest part of the colony, I don’t think they’ve even been painted inside yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group stops outside a low little bungalow, and Stiles lets out a joyous scoff. “No way, they gave us the X-3!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The exterior is dark blue, with yellow and green accents, and a small garden overflows with plantlife. Stiles rushes in, loudly claiming the room with the most windows, and the rest of the family trails after, taking in the spacious home with wide eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More than you’re used to?” Derek asks, smirking knowingly. “I came on the First Pilgrimage, and I was a little kid then. Don’t really remember any world but this one, so it’s always fun watching the new arrivals go nuts with how much space they have.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claudia nods. “Even on our salaries, we were living on top of each other in a tower. This is… </span>
  <em>
    <span>incredible.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Liam, who’s been stunningly quiet for a while, looks up at John, blinking confusedly. For his part, John looks back down, before tenuously speaking. “Hey, Liam… you remember me, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy doesn’t answer immediately before his eyes light up. “Your hair’s different.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your hair, it’s longer than before.” He says. “Of course I remember you, Daddy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighs with immense relief, bending down to kiss the top of his head. “Oh, thank God.” </span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Scott demands, pointing at the thick, pale blue liquid his older brother is currently slurping down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles shrugs. “Protein supplements. They cloned livestock for Terra Nova, so there’s real meat here, which has all these nutrients our bodies aren’t used to, same with the fruits and vegetables. We have to drink these for the next couple of days before we can have real food.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not.” He declares. “You can drink that sludge all you like, I’m going to find an actual meal.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scott turns to march outside the door, only for Claudia to appear in the frame, looking confused. “Have you guys seen Liam? He was out in the backyard with me, and I can’t find him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s missing?” Stiles asks, a note of panic in his voice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Dad!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” John asks, coming out of the master. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claudia turns to her husband. “Liam wandered off.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” He says, storming outside and calling for his youngest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the family follows suit, rounding the corner of the gravel road, only to be stopped dead by what they see. Liam is three or four feet in the air, suspended by a branch that is covered in leaves, itself held aloft by an Almosaurus, a beast among the largest of the sauropod dinosaurs. Several other of the animals all line along the fence of the colony, eagerly bending their long necks down to be fed by the residents. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liam drops back down to the gravel, laughing as the dinosaur’s enormous head reaches back up to swallow the branches in its mouth. He turns to his father, who has rushed over to grab him, and smiles widely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I made a friend, Dad!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Drop your thoughts!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The First Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the delay! I just upgraded my computer, and I've spent the last few days getting intimately acquainted with my shiny new iMac. I love him very much, and now that I have a computer that isn't from 2011, I'm hopeful I'll be able to spend more time writing, though it's not like this quarantine has me short on time as it is. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The skin of the fruit is hard and spiky in Scott’s hands, and he can think of no way to open it. His blunt nails find no purchase in it, nor can he find a way to bite into it that doesn’t involve gnawing on some seriously sharp spikes. As he turns the offending item over in his hand, seeking to divine the damn thing’s secrets from its mocking green skin, a deep voice chuckles from across the open air market.</p><p>He turns around, and takes in the sight of a pale guy with loose, ash blond curls snickering at his misfortune. “This how you get your kicks, laughing at the newby trying to eat fruit? You Terra Novans have a seriously warped sense of humor.”</p><p>“Comes with the territory. Two months here, and you’ll laugh at a pack of raptors getting sent flying like bowling pins by a sonic cannon. Here, give me the fruit.” The guy instructs, taking it and promptly smacking it against the post. The skin gives a terribly loud <em> crack! </em>and breaks down the middle in two, revealing the soft, pale flesh within. He holds out a half to Scott. </p><p>“Wow, thanks!” He says, peeling some of the flesh out. “I’m Scott Stilinski, by the way.” </p><p>He holds out his hand. “Isaac Lahey. What you got there is a paleomelon, it’s kind of a cross between a coconut and a mango. You need to crack them open, usually by hitting them. So, Scott Stilinski, how are you liking Terra Nova?” </p><p>“Fuckin’ love it, man. I couldn’t breathe back in 2167, but here, I barely get winded. I actually <em> ran </em>today.” Scott enthuses. “I haven’t been able to run since I was thirteen.” </p><p>“COPD?” Isaac asks, his face morphing into immediate concern. “You’re hardly the first to come through the portal with bad lungs.” </p><p>He nods. “And asthma. The air just keeps getting worse there.” </p><p>“Feedback loop. The air gets worse, causes the temperatures to rise, causes the air to get worse. If there’s a single human alive on Earth by 2200 I’ll eat my hat.” He says. </p><p>“But those army berets are so stylish!” Scott teasingly cries out. </p><p>“And for security forces only. All I have is a beanie for winter. Hey, why don’t you come with me, meet a couple of people?” </p><p>He pauses for a moment, entirely uncertain, but Scott eventually nods. After all, they <em> did </em>come here for a fresh start, better get on it early. Besides, what’s he going to miss at orientation? All they’ll instruct them on is the most basic rule– don’t get eaten by a dinosaur. </p><p>“Yeah,” He says, “Yeah, let’s go.” </p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>“We’re so glad to have you, Doctor.” The nurse, a middle-aged woman with dark skin and a close crop of black hair named Kelly gushes to Claudia as she makes her way in for her first shift at the medical center. “You’re the first specialist we’ve had come through the portal, and after last winter’s outbreak, well… let’s just say that I’m very glad we have a trained epidemiologist with us now.” </p><p>“Glad to be here.” She replies. “So, what am I onto first?” </p><p>“Nothing terribly urgent. Obviously, Terra Nova doesn’t have a very high elderly population, and everyone who comes through is generally in decent health, so it’s mostly injuries, food poisoning, and checkups around here. We <em> are </em>in a bit of a bump with the Pilgrimage coming in yesterday and all, but it’s all very easily handled. If you wanna just jump right in, bed five needs to be seen.” She points over to a bed where a very uncomfortable-looking man sits without a shirt on.</p><p>Claudia nods. “Right on it. Thank you, Kelly.” She makes her way over to the requisite bed, pulling up the patient’s chart on her work-issued plex. “Alright, Mr. Guernsey… my name is Doctor Stilinski, how we doing?”</p><p>“H-<em> ugh! </em>Hurts like Hell! Can you get this thing off of me? Doctor Lennox said this would only take a half an hour, and it’s at least been that long.” He groans, cursing under his breath. </p><p>“Get what off of- <em> whoa!” </em>The doctor lets out a stunned chuckle at the sight of what’s on his back. The leech, centered in the middle of the spine, must be a foot long, and twice as thick as her forearm. “Fascinating… it must help with the hyperoxia. I didn’t realize that there were species of leeches this large.” </p><p>He lets out a whimper. “Yeah, doc, it’s great, now can you <em> please </em>get this fucking thing off of me?” </p><p>She takes the black leech in both hands, surprised by just how scaly the creature feels, and turns to Mr. Guernsey. “Brace.” She instructs, and promptly begins pulling it off of him. There’s a moment of resistance from the leech, and then it gives way. As soon as it’s gone, the man sags to the bed, moaning in relief. </p><p>“Thank you…” He says, sighing deeply. </p><p>“Just wait here, I’ll get a dressing for your wound and we’ll send you on your way.” </p><p>There’s a momentary commotion, punctuated by the shocked screech of a nurse. Claudia whips around, and there is a frantic-eyed man there in front of her, reaching out to snatch her close, and she hears the whir of a laser scalpel firing up as he holds it to her throat. </p><p>The man is trembling, but he speaks clearly. “Get the <em> fuck </em>back, or the bitch gets it!”</p><p><em> I could’ve sworn I left San Francisco, </em> she dryly thinks to herself, <em> Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same. </em></p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>They start John off with weeding. At first, he’s blasé about the concept, considering that he’d helped his parents keep a garden growing up before the air <em> really </em>went bad in the 2140’s, but then the head of his ag team hands him a machete and points him at a section of the guard fence that keeps the dinosaurs out, which is easily two stories high and covered in wood-like vines as thick as his forearm. </p><p>It’s three hours of undignified work in the hot summer sun, and more than once John falls from the posts, at one point plummeting nearly fifteen feet flat onto his back after a centipede the size of a small dog crawled over his arms. By the end of it, though, he is shirtless, sweaty, but triumphant over the invasive vines. </p><p>He takes the way back through the market as it bustles with the activity. People haggle over food and drink and technology, decorative rugs and handmade jewelry carved from exotic Cretaceous rock, and John sighs with a degree of contentment. It’s such a stark difference from the polluted streets of 2167, the ones filled with people slowly choking on poison air, with starving, impoverished children and the corpses of those who took in as many chemicals as they could to find an escape until they accidentally found their way to that most final of final escapes. </p><p>From nowhere, a figure crashes into him, stalking by without even bothering to apologize. “Hey!” John barks, but the man doesn’t pay attention. He watches him for a moment, the single-minded focus on his face as he crosses the market, the way his entire body is coiled tight like a spring, and most of all, the way his right hand keeps twitching towards his waist. He follows the man’s line of sight across the agora to where Commander Hale and Lieutenant Morrell are walking with a group of colony leaders, and it snaps into his head what is about to happen.</p><p><em> “Hale, Shooter!” </em>John bellows, taking off across the market towards the assassin. The interloper doesn’t even blink, just goes for his weapon. He pulls it and lets out a shot, but the commander took his warning and has moved, drawing her own weapon. The bullet strikes a bamboo post that is directly where Talia Hale’s head was only a second early, and she promptly returns fire, striking the shooter in the shoulder with a gout of blood that sprays across a fruit stand. </p><p>He stumbles, dropping his gun, before falling backwards with a low groan as he bleeds out on the ground. John doesn’t hesitate, kicking the weapon some feet away before grabbing the man’s hands and pinning them under his boot while Hale and Morrell approach. </p><p>The commander, for her part, looks at him with an impressed expression. “Thank you, Stilinski. You just saved my life.” Her gratitude melts away as she takes in the foiled killer. “And as for <em> you, </em>Miggs, well, we’re going to have a little chat once you’re not dying all over my colony. Morrell, Reyes, get this trash to medical, and then to the brig once he’s stable.” </p><p>“Aye, ma’am.” The two escorts say, grabbing Miggs, who lets out a pitiful moan. </p><p>“Hale,” He pants, still coming down from the rush of adrenaline, “What the fuck is going on here?!”</p><p>
  <strong>+</strong>
</p><p>“Holy crow! That’s a big ball!” Liam cries as they walk through the streets of the colony. Stiles looks in the direction the child is pointing, and smiles.</p><p>“That’s not a ball, that’s the Probe!” He responds, taking his younger brother’s hand and guiding him towards the monument that’s been erected near the colony’s command post. </p><p>The sphere in question is massive, easily six feet wide, and covered with sensors that view the entire light spectrum from microwaves to gamma rays. The metallic probe glints in the sunlight, raised high on a pedestal that slouches towards the east, drawing the eyes of the viewer to the gentle slopes of mountains that rest beyond Terra Nova. </p><p>The younger Stilinski looks at him with confusion. “What’s the Probe?” He asks. </p><p>“The Probe is the first thing they sent through the fracture after they discovered a way to open it. The scientists figured they’d find it however many years in the future they could, but instead, they saw a few seconds of footage showing the forests and the clear skies, and they realized two things. The first, that they were in the <em> past, </em>not the future, and the second, that it was an alternate timeline, since they didn’t wind up changing history in any sort of way. The Probe is what made Terra Nova possible.” Stiles explains. </p><p>“Can we write our names on it?” Liam excitedly requests, pointing at the stone pedestal. Sure enough, hundreds of names have been carved into it, along with the pilgrimage numbers of the people. </p><p>He smiles at his brother, and grabs a particularly sharp rock from the nearby ground. “Sure!” With careful precision, he carves into the stone, <em> STILES &amp; LIAM STILINSKI, 10TH PILGRIMAGE, 2167, </em>before pulling back and appraising his handiwork. “Well, bud?” </p><p>“Perfect!”</p><p>The two of them turn around when they hear the familiar din of Scott’s voice, and find him walking along with some random guy with a flop of curly, ash blonde hair and a jaw to cut marble. Immediately, Stiles goes over, calling out to his brother. “Hey! Scott!”</p><p>Scott stops, before his face flickers with annoyance at the sight of his siblings. “What’s up, Stiles?”</p><p>“Why aren’t you at your orientation?” He demands. </p><p>“Why aren’t <em> you?”  </em></p><p>Stiles rolls his eyes. “We just got out, but I know yours started ten minutes ago. C’mon, it’s day one, you can’t be slacking off like this. What are Mom and Dad gonna say?”</p><p>“Well,” He drawls, “I don’t think Dad has much room to talk about what people are supposed to be doing, seeing as the entire mess of the last two years has been his fault.” </p><p><em> “Whoa! </em>What is wrong with you?!” He barks, now visibly affronted. </p><p>“Nothing.” Scott spits. “The rest of you seem to have something wrong with you, though. You’re all acting like everything is fine and he never left. Am I the only one who remembers how bad it got with him gone? If Mom weren’t a doctor, we’d have been homeless and I’d be fucking <em> dead.”  </em></p><p>Liam gasps at the use of foul language, but he continues speaking right over him. “So, you might understand why I don’t give much of a fuck about what Dad thinks right now. Come on, Isaac.” </p><p>The two take off with long, purposeful strides, leaving Stiles and Liam slack-jawed at the outburst. Once they’re clear of the park, Isaac turns to Scott. “That was pretty intense, are you okay?” </p><p>“Fine,” He bites back, “Just pissed off. They’re all burying their heads in the sand, and it’s bullshit. I just need a few to calm down.” </p><p>“Hey, far be it from me to prognosticate on your life, but take it from someone without any family left— you really should make an effort to forgive your dad. I know I wish I had before I lost him.” He says. “It was a bit more complicated than him getting sent off to prison, but I still regret the way it all went down.” </p><p>Scott looks at him with questions swimming in his eyes, but he can tell they would be thoroughly unwelcome. “I’m sorry. It must be hard.” </p><p>“It can be, at times. I have Boyd and Erica, though, so they make it easier a lot of the time.” He replies. “They’re my roommates. We were friends in school, so we decided to get a place together once we graduated. We requisitioned a unit from the boss lady, and then we went out and got jobs. Erica works at administration, and Boyd is training to become an electrical engineer.” </p><p>“What about you?” Scott asks. “What’s your job?”</p><p>Isaac grins proudly, and a little wickedly. “I’m a page. Communication outside of the colony is pretty much nonexistent except for short-range radio, so I get to run important messages and materials to the outposts. I even have my own rover for it.” </p><p>They come up on a house that is covered by greenery, where two kids their own age recline in a pair of deck chairs. The first is a large guy, dark skinned with his hair buzzed short, wearing a placid expression on his face as he soaks up the warmth of the sun, while the second can only be described as a bombshell. Her honey blonde hair falls in bouncy curls nearly to her waist, and she has a smirk that goes straight up your zipper on her face as she takes in the approaching sight of Isaac and Scott. </p><p>“Howdy, boys. Who’s your friend, Isaac?” She asks.</p><p>“This is Scott Stilinski.” He answers. “Scott, this is Erica Reyes, and Vernon Boyd.” He says, pointing to his housemates.</p><p>“Just Boyd.” He rumbles with a deep, well-rested voice.</p><p>Erica smiles even wider, leaning over him and dragging her hands across Boyd’s chest. “Unless you’re sleeping with him, ain’t that right, V?” </p><p>He doesn’t answer, but smiles fondly before reaching up to kiss her, to which Isaac promptly begins making gagging noises at them until the two of them break their embrace. Erica looks up at them, with a spark in her eyes. </p><p>“Say, Isaac, isn’t it that time of the month? Don’t we have an errand to run?” She asks, clearly speaking in some kind of code.</p><p>Realization dawns on his face, and he turns wickedly to Scott. “Hey, how do you feel about going OTG on your first day?” </p><p>“OTG?” He asks, confused. </p><p>Boyd sits up, now on the same page as his cohorts. “Outside the gate. We’re taking you into terra incognita, kid.”</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>“Sit.” Hale orders, gesturing to a plush chair across from her tyrannosaur skull desk. John does as instructed, and she does the same in her own chair, pulling up her plex and sliding it across the glass desktop to him. </p><p>“What am I looking at?” He asks, scrolling the document. </p><p>There’s undisguised contempt in her voice as she speaks. “It’s a manifesto. It’s also bullshit. You might have noticed that the population around here isn’t as thick as you might expect. We lost close to seven hundred people to a splinter colony we call the Sixers. See, when the Sixth Pilgrimage came through, a bunch of them were acting very strangely. They'd ask questions about military operations and materials storage, they'd all try to get as close to vital workings as they could. We found them stockpiling weapons, and when we went to round up known associates, half of them turned tail and ran into the jungle. We don't know where they are now, but they're still going strong enough to be a pain in my ass. Miggs, the idiot who tried to cap me, is one such Sixer. He got busted trying to siphon power off of our grid, so his ass got stunned and needed attention. Apparently he got loose from the medbay, and came right for me.” </p><p>“What does this manifesto have to do with that?” </p><p>“The Sixer Manifesto is what my team and I put together to explain to Hope Plaza about the Sixers. We painted them as a bunch of radical Marxists trying to execute a coup. They were trying that, but they weren’t Marxists. Truth is, we don’t know what they are, or who they work for.” She answers. “So, I feed Hope Plaza bullshit on what happened and the continuing situation until I know what’s really happening here.” </p><p>“You think they could be involved.” John states. “That’s smart.” </p><p>“Glad you think so. I’m also very grateful to you for saving my life. How’d you know he was coming for me, anyway?” </p><p>He shrugs. “Ex-cop. I know how to tell when someone’s acting shifty, and he was acting <em> really </em>shifty. I saw him holding his gun under his coat, and as soon as he caught sight of you, it was easy enough to tell what was going to go down with it.” </p><p>Talia Hale stands from her desk and reaches out, grabbing something from a nearby table. She places a gun and three magazines on the desk in front of John. “Jonathan Stilinski, as Commander of this colony, I hereby appoint you Sheriff of Terra Nova. Your duties will include investigation of crimes, enforcement of laws, public relations, and, if necessary, arbitration for minor matters not delegated to me by the present charter. You will also be afforded a seat on the Terra Nova Council.”</p><p>“Council? I didn’t know there was a council.” </p><p>“Another tidbit we keep from Hope Plaza. As commander, I have final say on all matters regarding laws passed by the council, but this place isn’t a dictatorship, so we have directly elected leaders. I do have the right to make temporary appointments, but your position will have to be confirmed.” </p><p>“They’ll find out about this, sooner or later.” John cautions. </p><p>She nods. “I’m aware. I fully intend to be prepared for that day. It’s probably the day that whoever sent the Sixers through to depose me will make themselves known.” </p><p>“And what do we do then?”</p><p>“Well, Stilinski, I’m a soldier. I fought from Somalia to Venezuela to Atlanta during the Third World War, and now I fight dinosaurs. What the Hell do you think I’m gonna do?” </p><p>He smiles grimly. “Same as me– defend our home to your dying breath.”</p><p>Recognition flickers in her eyes. “You were in?”</p><p>“The Eastern Secession War. I was part of the Invasion of Florida, which, let me tell you… made Venezuela look pleasant with the fighting there. I saw more than one man eaten whole by a gator.” He answers. “We came home bloodied, beaten, and shamed, but confident we’d ruined them. Six years later, there’s two million refugees standing on the shores of the Mississippi begging to get into the Republic.” John sighs.</p><p>“I remember when they sent the news on that through. I wept for my country, for the fact that the Union had failed. Turns out the Republic had the right of it, who knew?” </p><p>“You think the government is in on this?”</p><p>Talia turns her plex over in her hands. “They have to be. Of course, there’s pretty much no difference between the corpocrats and the congressmen anymore. The President might live in Denver, but the power is in Silicon Valley, make no mistake.” </p><p>He nods, bitterly aware of this truth. “So, what next?”</p><p>“We prepare.”</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>The “errand”, as it turns out, is checking on a still that the other teenagers have been keeping to ferment some kind of fruit juice moonshine. One sip has the hairs on the back of Scott’s neck standing up with its strength, but he has to appreciate the creativity. The long trek through the jungle has offered some pretty stunning panoramas of the area, with its gentle, rolling hills and the long, wide flow of the river beyond Terra Nova. </p><p>Now, the group comes along to a massive waterfall, easily fifty feet high, and immediately, Isaac grins at the other three. “Time for a dip?” </p><p>Erica lets out a whoop, and immediately peels off her tee-shirt, revealing a bikini underneath, and she throws herself over the cliff’s edge into the deep waters below. Boyd isn’t far behind, and as Isaac strips to his skivvies, he notices the deep apprehension on Scott’s face.</p><p>“Lemme guess,” He ventures, smiling encouragingly, “Never been cliff diving?” </p><p>Scott nods. “Couldn’t spend more than twenty minutes outside at a time. Kinda hard to do an aerobic activity like swimming outside of the apartment building pool, let alone hike up a cliff to jump off of it.” </p><p>He snickers. “Fair enough. Well, since you’ve been deprived of so many essential adolescent experiences, I shall hereby make myself your official guide to being a teenage Terra Novan. Step one, hurling yourself off of a cliff into a pool of water.” He makes no move to go forward, and the blonde lets out an exasperated smile before offering his hand. “We’ll go together.” </p><p>At that, the new arrival steps forward. “Okay, it’s just a little cliff jumping…”</p><p>“Uh, Scott?” Isaac interrupts. “Might wanna get down to your underwear, unless you wanna make the walk back to the colony in wet clothes. I dunno about you, but I prefer to <em> not </em>have heat rash.”</p><p>“Oh.” He pauses, just the faintest hint of a blush coloring his cheeks, before slipping off his shirt and cargo shorts, and then reaching out for the other boy’s hand once more. There’s a split second where he considers backing out, but there’s no time to even fully process the idea before Isaac’s bare feet are pounding against the stone and he’s being dragged along, and then Scott is in open air, with the yawning blue expanse of the water waiting for him below.</p><p>He feels a cataclysmic spike of fear sing its way up his spine, and then the water is all around him, and the fear is gone, replaced by a rush of exhilaration that manifests in stunned laughter as he surfaces, wiping his chocolate bangs out of his eyes and seeking out Isaac, whose face mirrors his.</p><p>“That was <em> incredible!” </em>He enthuses, grinning broadly.</p><p>“Told you so.” The other teen smirks.</p><p>Scott goes to respond, but instead a flash of gold on the nearby rocks catches his eye, and he begins swimming over, with Isaac trailing after him. “What are these? They look like… equations.” </p><p>That’s exactly what they are, as it turns out. The numbers and Greek lettering make that much clear, but it’s a type of math that he can’t even begin to comprehend. They’re carved into the rock, which apparently are massive deposits of pyrite, if the golden glitter of the glyphs is any indication. </p><p>“They’ve been here since before we found this place. Honestly, Hale has this entire area blocked off from couriers or anyone who isn’t on a really tight list. I can’t make heads or tails, just that it’s some seriously advanced math.” He answers. “Whatever they are, they’ve got the commander pretty spooked.”</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>Just as John and the commander are exiting her office, the guards on the towers begin making a great deal of commotion before an alarm starts whooping. Hale looks out to the approach road, and curses to herself. </p><p>“What?” He asks, spotting the approaching collection of vehicles. “What’s going on?”</p><p>“Kali’s come to collect that dumb piece of trash.” She spits. “And I doubt she’ll leave quietly without him.”</p><p>John looks at her with confusion even as he draws his new weapon from its holster. “Who the Hell is Kali?”</p><p>“You’re about to find out.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, I'm splitting the second episode into two chapters, mostly because dinosaur chases and hostage exchanges feel like something that belongs on its own. Oops, a little spoiler, but if you've seen the show, you know how it goes. Decisions were made regarding how much worldbuilding to do with this one, especially since Terra Nova had a pretty solid setup as it was, but if you ask me, there's no such thing as too much, so I'll be exploring a lot more of the inner workings of both Terra Nova and 2167 as we go. Next chapter, Satomi and Deaton (who isn't the bad guy for once!) appear, Stiles and Derek get to know one another, and we find out what's up with those glyphs on the rocks after a tense exchange between Talia and Kali.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Sixers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Woo! Sorry about the delay, there's been a <i>lot</i> going on around me, but I got a brand new iPhone 11 for my first upgrade since my 7, which I got in 2016, so now all my technology is shiny and new (Thank you, rona money!) This chapter, Scott learns why going OTG is against the rules, Commander Hale conducts a little trade, and we learn about the equations at the falls. Warning for some pretty juicy gore. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“So, you, uh… you’re a tech expert?” Derek asks, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck as he walks alongside Stiles down the gravel streets of the colony. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t say </span>
  <em>
    <span>expert,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Stiles responds, “But I know my way around a lot of different stuff. Jack of all trades, master on none type, really. I was actually working for Phoenix Nanorobotics when the recruiters contacted us. Just as a lab gremlin as a way to link up from SFSU, but obviously I had to drop out when we decided to come.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nods. “That must’ve been hard. I came through on the Second Pilgrimage, when I was thirteen, and I remember being really pissed about having to leave middle school. Laura was even worse, since the pilgrimage left before prom.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Laura?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My older sister.” He explains. “She’s out on assignment, will be for another month or so. I also have a younger sister about your age named Cora, she works under Doctor Ito in the science labs.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The younger man smiles at him. “What about your dad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pain flickers across Derek’s face, and Stiles immediately realizes it’s nothing good, but he answers anyway. “He… well, he was killed during the war. Mom was deployed to Mogadishu, which, as far as everyone knew, was safe, had been for what, like fifty years? Well, the Russo-Chinese snuck up on the city and shit got hairy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry.” He immediately says. “I shouldn’t have asked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no way you could’ve known. Besides, it was twelve years ago, I’ve had time to process. Now, why don’t I show you the best place to get lunch in town?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles grins up at him, now excited. “Do they have fries? I’ve been craving french fries since we’ve got here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They absolutely do, and the Cretaceous soil makes the potatoes better than any you’ve had back in 2167.” He promises, before placing a hand at the small of his back and guiding the younger man towards the restaurant.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The caravan that pulls up to the main gate of Terra Nova is composed of three muddy, haggard-looking rovers, dented and covered in admittedly impressive camouflage patterns. The doors of the vehicles are all painted with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>6 </span>
  </em>
  <span>on them, making it even plainer who the uninvited guests are. The woman who gets out of the lead rover cuts an intimidating figure, indeed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kali’s skin is a rich sienna, and her exposed collarbones are decorated with intricate scarification patterns. She wears her black hair in an efficient pixie cut, and her entire figure is solid. It’s clear that she’s living lean, but she’s also made of pure muscle. It’s the expression on her face, however, that truly sells the entire thing. Her expression is one of cold surety, so confident that she’s in control of things that John himself can’t help but wonder if she really is. One look at Hale, however, and he sees that the commander is sporting an identical expression. As Kali saunters towards the gates, Talia goes down to meet her, and he realizes that he is witnessing the meeting of two titans, and that neither intends to give. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A group of about a dozen or so exit the other vehicles, all of them pointing weapons at the Terra Nova security forces, who raise their own, John included. There’s a moment of brief tension before the gates open up, and both sides meet, lowering their guns and tensely stalking at one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kali.” Hale greets, raising a hand like she’s meeting with a neighbor, not her greatest adversary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other woman nods curtly. “Hale. You’re looking well-fed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perks of not betraying my colony. We’re enjoying quite a surplus of food at the moment, but I’m sure your little worm has already informed you about that.” She snipes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kali returns, nonplussed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure you don’t. That’s why your people have been hitting my convoys with pinpoint precision as of late. Don’t worry, we’ll find them soon enough, and God help them when we do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugs. “Whatever, you can chase ghosts all you like. You know why I’m here— Miggs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Talia rolls her eyes. “Your idiot got himself shot while he was siphoning our power, and then shot again when he tried to take me out.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s alive and in your brig, I know it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the Sixers suddenly raises his weapon, leveling it directly at Hale’s face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“We want Miggs, you fuckin’ bitch!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He bellows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At once, there’s a massive clamor as both sides raise their weapons, screaming at their opponents to lower theirs and that they have their eyes on them. Hale and Kali remain implacable, allowing the chaos to break out around them without ever breaking one another’s gaze. The two exchange the smallest of nods, and at once they both snap to attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Enough!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Stand down!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They each shout to their people at the same moment, and the crowd that has gathered to watch the exchange lets out a massive, audible sigh of relief as the two sides do as instructed. Kali looks to one of her men, jerking her head towards the trunk of one of the rovers. Four of the Sixers extract a large chest, and crack it open, revealing a massive stack of glinting stones. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Four hundred pounds of meteoric iron from the quarry. We give you this, you give us Miggs, meds, and two thousand rounds of ammo.” She says. “Everyone walks away happy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hale walks over, assessing the quality of the iron, before looking at the interlopers. “You can have your man, and the meds, but it’ll be a cold day in Hell before I arm you and yours, not after your little attempt at a coup.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kali smirks. “Can’t blame a girl for trying. How about a food supply? Say… a hundred pounds of grain, twenty-five of jerky?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Deal. Reyes, get Miggs from the brig. Morrell, head to storage and get the goodies, and, oh, Hale, there you are.” She looks to where her son and Stiles have been there the entire time, watching the tense exchange. “Go to the med center and requisition a six months’ supply of penicillin and morphine for them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three soldiers all snap to attention, while Kali smiles with satisfaction as she corrals her people back into their vehicles. More of the security forces gather up the supply of iron, loading the large chest onto the back of one of their rovers and driving off to the small metal refinery in the eastern side of the colony. As things come down, John rushes over to meet his son. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad, Jesus…” Stiles says, still visibly shaken. “That was </span>
  <em>
    <span>intense. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Who are those people?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sixers. There’s a lot more going on here than what we were told, but it’s pretty clear that Hale’s got a handle.” He replies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The eldest of the Stilinski children looks at his father with appraising eyes. “And just why were you standing next to Hale with a gun in the middle of it all? You’re supposed to be on agricultural duty.” He accuses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll explain to everyone when we get home. Speaking of, where are Scott and Liam?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Liam’s at the daycare facility and Scott… I don’t know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John raises a brow. “Isn’t he supposed to be at orientation?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He blew it off, went with some guy our age.” He answers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goddammit,” He curses, “That’s just wonderful. Do you know who this guy is?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stiles’ face pinches with concentration. “I think he said his name was… Ian? No, not Ian. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Isaac. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yeah, that’s it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nods, and John walks over to where Hale is conferring with one of the security forces. “Hale, a minute?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turns, nodding as she takes in the seriousness of his expression. “What’s the problem, Stilinski?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know any kids around sixteen or seventeen named Isaac?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Lahey, he’s one of our pages, ferries messages and supplies through the jungle to the outposts. Why?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighs with frustration. “My son, Scott, went off and skipped orientation with him. We don’t know where they are now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hale sighs. “You Stilinskis are going to be a regular pain in my ass, aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Stiles jokingly objects, “I’m the good child.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Good </span>
  </em>
  <span>is subjective.” She retorts. “Let’s go find your missing offspring, Stilinski.” </span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>They trudge their way back from the swimming hole to the rover, only for Erica to let out a scoff of complete disbelief when she reaches it first. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Fuck!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She curses. “Someone raided our rover! They took the battery!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh… guys?” Isaac trails, sounding decidedly concerned. “Is that blood?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There are red specks across the door of the rover, ones that are decidedly </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>part of the paintjob. Further down the chassis, the specks become a smear, and when Isaac looks underneath the rover, he lets out a shout of horror before skittering backwards and promptly begins gagging. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Under the vehicle is what was once a Sixer, if the faded state of what’s left of his clothes are any indicator. His face is little more than a bloody pulp, and his skin is covered in lacerations by the hundreds. The poor bastard’s throat has been ripped clean out, and one arm, as well as his entire lower half, are completely gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nykos…” Boyd trails, horrified. “Only nykoraptors store their food like that. We have to go, the pack will be coming back for it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erica shakes her head. “They took our battery, we’ve got nothing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we shelter in place. I have a couple of guns in the backseat, and we wait for the raptors to get their food.” Isaac instructs, reaching for the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Their </span>
  <em>
    <span>food </span>
  </em>
  <span>is a human person, who happens to be under our fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>car!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Scott exclaims, looking like he’s only seconds from vomiting as he recalls the gory horror three feet to the left of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shakes his head firmly. “There’s no helping him. Nyko packs don’t stray far from their food stores, and I’d bet this guy’s been here a couple of hours. They’ll be back, and soon, and if we’re out wandering, we’re gonna end up next to the corpse under the car. Scott, for the love of God, get in the fucking car or you will die.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a moment where it looks like he’ll rebel against Isaac’s orders and make a break for it, but Scott acquiesces and gets into the armored vehicle. “Is there a comm in here?” He asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boyd shakes his head. “Radio’s hooked up to the battery,” He explains, “We can’t signal for help.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re only five miles from Terra Nova,” Erica interjects, “Nykos don’t normally appear this close to the settlement, they should clear out after they finish their dinner. As long as we get a move on before dark, we’ll be fine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span> “They </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>clear out.” He replies. “You know, you guys aren’t very good at inspiring confidence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to the frontier, Scotty.” Isaac snarks with a wry grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From outside, there’s a low, deadly hiss, and the inside of the rover goes stock still, each of their eyes widening. Then, all at once, the world explodes into the ravenous snarls and shrieks as the pack of nykoraptors descends on the vehicle. The metal shell of the car shrieks in protest as their long, deadly claws scratch at its surface, and their insistent muzzles probe at the slats that protect the windows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not long after, they all start screaming in sheer terror.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, we’ve got four missing idiot teenagers. Isaac Lahey’s rover is gone from the garage, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, and Scott Stilinski are presumed to be with him. We have to assume their rover died, because the tracker in the battery isn’t pinging.” Hale says, standing before the assembled search party. John and Claudia are directly next to her, as are Erica’s father and Boyd’s mother, both of them being with the security forces. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claudia anxiously eyes the western sky, which is quickly coloring itself in rich reds and golds as twilight falls over the colony. Meanwhile, Talia continues speaking. “… which is why I am asking, with the promise that no one will get in any trouble for defying the most basic rules of life in Terra Nova, for those who know to inform where the most popular spots to go OTG are.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the younger guys on the security forces hesitantly steps up, raising a hand. “Bogaerdt Falls, ma’am. People like to go cliff-diving there.” He says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hale’s face becomes stormy with fury for reasons no one fully comprehends, but she quickly smooths it over. “Thank you, Gabe. Alright, everyone, we start at Bogaerdt Falls.” The group quickly sets off on their tasks, but she turns to Claudia just as she’s slinging the pack filled with medical supplies she prepared over her shoulder. “Whoa, Doc, I can’t have both you and your husband coming along. That’s… not a good mix when it’s your kid in trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Commander, I am a medical doctor, and you’ve recently made my husband law enforcement. There could be injuries, and as you said, I did two years trauma work in some of the most dilapidated hospitals in San Francisco. I am used to practicing medicine that is so medieval I might as well be considered a shaman. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>need </span>
  </em>
  <span>me out there. I promise, I can keep a level head.” She strongly objects. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, the taller woman looks prepared to object, but she nods, and Claudia sighs in relief. The search party takes off, leading with the barks of German shepherds that double as both search dogs and noisemakers to scare off most dinosaurs. What’s amazing is how quickly darkness consumes the jungle. Within seconds of crossing the treeline, the only reliable sources of light are the flashlights they all carry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John and Claudia fall next to one another, and speak in hushed tones. “There are not strong enough words to describe how grounded that kid is gonna be.” John snarls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Preaching, darling, you’re preaching.” His wife returns, half bemused and half serious. “He’ll be lucky if I don’t put a tracker under his skin after this stunt. I can do it, you know. Turns out my old MCP professor from Stanford, Dr. Ito, came here two pilgrimages ago.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“MCP?” He asks, now confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claudia smiles wryly. “Molecular and cellular physiology. Boring ass title, fascinating material. My bachelor’s in MCP is what kept our idiot son alive when his asthma was getting worse back in 2167.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From ahead, there’s a massive cacophony of noise, with yelling and the barking of the dogs growing frantic. Then, a clear voice rings out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“We need Doc Stilinski!”, </span>
  </em>
  <span>someone bellows from the front of the party. At once, both of Stilinskis take off sprinting, and find Commander Hale, along with Lieutenants Boyd and Reyes, crouched over the prone forms of two people, both of them young.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Erica and Vernon,” Hale barks, “They’re alive, but hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor immediately goes into full professional mode, swinging her pack off of her shoulders and crouching down to examine them. The first thing she notes is that both of them are badly covered in deep, bloody slashes. One in particular, tracing the delicate curvature of Erica’s neck, is of concern to her, as is the ashen pallor that has overtaken Boyd. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finishing her preliminary assessment, she stands and looks at one of the soldiers. “I need you to radio back to the med center. Tell them to bring two stretchers and two bags of O-negative in the truck to our location.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am.” He nods before doing as ordered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Reyes, Boyd, go back with the doc and your kids.” Talia says, surprisingly gentle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hale,” John calls out, “What did this to them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She appraises the cuts on them, as well as a particularly nasty bite mark in the exposed flesh of Erica’s thigh, before locking eyes with him. “Nykoraptor, a lone juvenile from the looks of it. If it had been mature or with its pack, they’d both be dead right now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do nykoraptors usually leave their packs?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes become hard. “Not unless the prey they’re chasing has split up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The raptors had backed off for a second, and it was just long enough for Erica and Boyd to make a run for it, which was pure foolishness. He’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>warned </span>
  </em>
  <span>them that they were just creating an opening so they could chase them after, but their fear had overwhelmed all sensibility and they’d split, booking it towards the colony without so much as the light of the moon to guide their way through the darkness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside, the pack prowls and snarls, realizing that they can’t get through the shell of the vehicle. Apparently, they’re content to wait this out. Isaac holds the empty pistol in his hand, clutching it as tightly as he can. It had been in the glovebox of the rover, and he’s fairly confident he managed to wound a couple of the bastards, but when you’re firing through slats and the thing you’re shooting at can rip your gun </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>your hand off with a bite, you don’t really have time to aim properly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next to him, Scott trembles in the darkness, breathing rapidly but not completely losing it, which is a comfort. The last thing Isaac needs right now is to have to keep Scott from going off the deep end like his friends, who he can only pray have made it back to the colony. In his hand, the pistol begins beeping insistently as it alerts him that the charge is going below twenty-five percent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that… that’s a charge pistol?” Scott asks, suddenly focused on the weapon in his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nods. “Of course it is. No way to make gunpowder here, so we need charge pistols. Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The newcomer scrambles towards the front seat, grabbing the comm off of the dashboard, holding its back up to the thin shafts of light coming through the slatted windows. “What’s the branding on your pistol?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Phoenix Tech, just like pretty much everything else in this colony, why?” </span>
</p><p><span>Scott lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Oh, thank fuck!”</span> <span>He chuckles, before promptly beginning to tear at the back of the comm, exposing its power unit. </span></p><p>
  <span>“What </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>you doing?” Isaac demands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stiles taught me a trick,” He explains, “That back in the 2020’s and 30’s, when the Internet of Things was evolving, tech companies started standardizing their batteries across their complete line of products. The practice stuck, and it’s pretty much universalized these days. So, I can take your pistol’s battery…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And power the comm.” He finishes, suddenly joyous. “Scott, that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>genius!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can thank my brother. Quick, dig out your battery.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After another few minutes of tinkering while the nykos outside pace and hiss, Scott declares that the comm should work, and holds down the power button on the side. The two teenagers hold their breath as they wait, until, finally, the screen lights up, a stylized phoenix unfurling its wings as the loading screen processes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac sags into the backseat with relief. “Oh, thank God.” He says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” Scott curses, “Shit, shit, shit!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He holds up the comm, where the screen reads </span>
  <em>
    <span>Voice Communication Malfunction. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“It’s got limited functions, the battery powering it isn’t what it’s used to. How can we radio for help if we can’t even talk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, it’s Isaac who has the spark of genius, taking the thing from his companion. “Old trick we were taught in basic. If you’re ever stranded and can’t talk, just squawk your radio. Anyone tuned to your frequency can ping you to pick up your location, and vice-versa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do we know what frequency command is on?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a general band frequency. Unsecure, but I’m not worried about that right this second, and I can set it to an SOS. I just need to change the settings, set the ping to repeating, and… presto!” He triumphantly holds up the thing, which now displays a sonar-like pinging on its screen. “We’re broadcasting. We just have to wait for someone to pick us up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside, one of the nykos has apparently lost its patience, and pounces at the rover again, rocking it heavily as it snarls and shrieks in fury, clawing at the metal shell. Scott immediately snaps into Isaac’s arms, clinging to his waist fearfully. “They better pick us up soon.” He mumbles into his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Commander!” One of the soldiers cries out. “I’m getting a ping! It’s morse!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The march through the jungle halts as Hale looks back, her brown eyes widening. “Bring it here!” She barks, and the searcher does as ordered, presenting her comm, which shows an SOS being broadcast on the wideband general frequency. The screen estimates the signal is no more than 1.6 kilometers to the northeast. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isaac remembered his training.” She mutters to herself, before looking at John. “They’re in trouble, and I’d bet my ass it’s the rest of the nykos. How good a shot are you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Top of my platoon during the war.” He responds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” She addresses the rest of the party. “Get the dogs to the back of the group, God knows those raptors would just love a tasty German shepherd, and make sure your weapons are ready, nykos are some fast motherfuckers. We have our location, now let’s go rescue some idiot kids!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t take more than ten minutes to march their way through the thick, dark jungle before they’ve reached the edges of the trail where Isaac’s rover is stranded. Sure enough, there are a group of six raptors prowling along the outside of the vehicle, and its exterior is badly covered in tears and scratches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hale has her weapon up in an instant, and she motions for her men to fan out along the treeline, all training their guns on the dinosaurs. John stands at her right, his pistol leveled for the head of the largest of the nykoraptors. The dinosaurs are enormous, easily taller than the average human, and the curved claws on their toes glint dangerously in the bare traces of light. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their skin is a muted sort of grey-green, perfect for blending into the bark of the tropical trees, and plumes of feathers run down the center of their heads, along the ridge of their spine, leading to an explosion of plumage at the points of their tails. Smaller lines of feathers trace along the edges of their arms and legs, but what is most captivating is the appraising intelligence in their golden reptilian eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a moment of tense silence, before the commander snaps her arm down in a slicing motion, and all at once, the group opens fire on their targets. The dinosaurs let out bawling shrieks of pain, surprise, and pure rage, but none are able to move more than a couple of feet in any direction before the gunfire takes them down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Talia is the first to emerge from the clearing, and she coldly walks over each of the dinosaurs, firing into their skulls at point blank range before gesturing for the rest of the group to fill the clearing. “It’s clear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Scott!” John calls, rushing to the rover. “Scott, are you in there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The back door of the car swings open, and the two teens inside scramble out. Scott immediately makes for his father’s arms, tears streaming from his eyes as he wraps himself around him in a bone-crushing embrace, meanwhile, Isaac, much to the Stilinskis’ surprise, does the same with Talia, who seems to be squeezing him just as tightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>do something like this again, do you hear me?!” He demands, shaking his son’s shoulders. “God, you were almost killed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He once again pulls him into a hug, tears of his own threatening, before Scott’s voice breaks from against his chest, small and fearful. “How grounded am I?” He asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, believe me, you’re gonna be grounded until it’s 2167 again.” John vows. “And for another eighty-five million years after </span>
  <em>
    <span>that, </span>
  </em>
  <span>too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Dawn breaks over the falls, and the young man crouches over the rocks, carving into the soft pyrite with his handmade titanium stylus. “Carry the five… account for the quantum vector instability…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We gotta go!” One of his companions calls, “Kali’s expecting us back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His cold blue eyes snap up, and he barks back. “Just a second, I’m almost done with this formula.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s a handsome figure, lean and well-built, with a crop of short, oak brown hair and short stubble painted over a razor sharp jawline. His beauty is marred only by the curvature of three long scars that begin at the crux of his jaw and tear down the side of his face, down the column of his neck and disappearing into the jagged collar of his dirty tee-shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Peter!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Braeden snaps, “We’re leaving.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” He says, standing from his crouch and stretching, feeling the warmth of the morning sun on his farmer-tanned skin. “It’ll be done soon enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter makes his way back into the jungle with the mathematical figures that will spell his sister’s doom dancing in his head, and they are sweeter than any song he ever heard.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lemme just do my standard begging for reviews here. Next chapter, Stiles and Derek finally get to spend some time together, Claudia contends with a concerning patient, and John navigates colonial politics. I am going back to work at the beginning of August, so there might be some spans of time between updates, but I'll get my ass started on this next one ASAP. Take care, and stay safe everyone.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Calm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Woo! Enjoy this one, cause it's the start of the goodies! Again, if you are watching or have watched the show, I warn you, this, which corresponds to episode three, is nothing like episode three. There is setup for pretty much the entire plot, though.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Claudia is just coming in for the morning shift when one of her counterparts, Doctor Harris, appears at her side, looking quite harried. “Claudia, good to see you.” He says, clearly distracted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Adrian,” She acknowledges him, “Something the matter?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, actually. I just got word that um, that my brother was killed while on assignment OTG.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face instantly morphs into concern. “Oh, Jesus, that’s horrible. I’m so sorry, Adrian.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” He says. “Listen, Jack had a wife and two kids, I gotta get back and be with them. I’m really sorry, but I need you to take over on my primary patient for a bit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Patient? As in… singular?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris nods. “Malia is what we would call a special case. It’s all in her chart, but a few years back, when she was about twelve, she and a couple of friends went OTG and ran afoul of an Allosaur. She was the sole survivor, and well, you can imagine what seeing something like that can do to a young girl. She stays here for her own safety, and for others’, as well.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t realize we even had permanent facilities.” Claudia says, scrolling through the files after he transfers them to her work plex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a bit ad hoc, but the commander has signed off on it. Look, I gotta go be with my family, just talk to Jackie and she’ll explain how we handle Malia.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, he rushes off, and Claudia straightens her lab coat, heading for where Jackie is running a diagnostic scan on a patient. As soon as the name </span>
  <em>
    <span>Malia </span>
  </em>
  <span>leaves her lips, the nurse’s face becomes wry, and perhaps a bit annoyed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’re stuck with Little Miss Sunshine, lucky you. Look, just get in, ask her the questions, and document her answers. If she gets rowdy, threaten to get Barney in there, that usually puts her back in line.” She instructs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And if it doesn’t?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jackie shrugs. “Haul ass out of there and actually get Barney. He can restrain her while you sedate her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nods, taking a steadying breath before opening back up Malia’s chart, which includes a daily questionnaire for her mental health evaluation. Claudia slips down the halls of the med center until she comes to what was clearly once a spare medicine store, if the ID-scan lock holding the transparent door shut is any indicator. Just above the scanner is a hastily machined plaque that reads </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Residential Care - M. Tate’. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Peering through the door, Claudia sees a well-lit room with thin window slats at the top of the walls. The furniture is sparse, a bed, lounge chair, and table with two chairs of their own, and a television mounted on the wall, which is currently off. Sitting on the bed, dressed in a plain white tee shirt and white linen pants, is a clearly beautiful girl, with dark brown hair cropped to her jawline, absorbed in the thick volume of an actual paper book. Squaring herself up, she swipes her ID on the lock and steps through the open doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claudia plasters a gentle smile on her face. “Good morning, Malia.” She greets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off, cunt.” The young woman returns without even looking up from her reading. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, so </span>
  </em>
  <span>that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>how it’s going to be, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thinks to herself. “You’re gonna have to try harder than that, sweetheart, I’ve already had a plasma scalpel held to my neck this week.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, Malia looks up at her for the first time, a calculating look in her oaken eyes. “You’re new. They have another Pilgrimage?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nods. “Tenth. Just got here six days ago. Now, how are you feeling this morning?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Adrian? He’s my morning keeper.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doctor Harris had something important come up, so he asked me to take over. Now, can we get through your morning questionnaire?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You made a mistake coming here, you know?” She says. “You think it’s bad there, but believe me, you’d rather choke or starve or whatever is happening back in the future than die to what’s outside of those gates. There’s nothing for us here but death, you know that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claudia looks at her with a raised brow. “Ten thousand people outside would beg to differ.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re fucking fools. They think we can tame this world like we did the last one, but we can’t. We just have to wait until the dinosaurs get sick of us being here, and then it all will be over before you can even blink.” </span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The Council of Terra Nova is an august body made up of representatives for each of the colony’s major areas of expertise. There are elected councilors for the agriculture, science, engineering, medicine, military, and commerce divisions, as well as a seventh seat for the commander, and now an eighth observer seat for the newly-appointed Sheriff. They gather in a large enclosed amphitheater built to house any sort of ceremonial events for the colony, and a fair number of colonists have appeared to oversee the investiture of the new Sheriff. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The meeting begins with Commander Hale calling everyone to order, before reviewing affairs from the last week’s session. “Beginning with the matter of the meteoric iron given to us by the Sixers last week, I will open the floor to Councilor Martin, representing the Engineering Division.” She says, before gesturing to a beautiful young girl who cannot be any older than John’s sons, who stands from her position at the hemicyclic table and proceeding to a podium that is to the side, so that both the audience and Council can be addressed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Commander.” She begins in a prim voice. “Meteoric iron is one of our most precious commodities, and the loss of the quarry to the Sixer separatists dealt a crippling blow to our efforts to expand colonial infrastructure, most notably in delaying the planned groundwork for the New Manhattan outpost seventy miles to the south. Automated drones are able to run a small mine near the colony, but the quality and quantity of the ore there is substantially poorer than what the quarry yields. Given the fact that this is the most meteoric iron we’ve acquired in nearly three years, I propose we prioritize long-overdue work on New Manhattan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Talia nods, before gesturing to a severe-looking Asian woman in her early sixties. “Very well, Councilor Ito, you had a counterpoint.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s Claudia’s old professor, </span>
  </em>
  <span>John thinks to himself, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I didn’t realize she was such a bigwig around these parts.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did. Commander, Terra Nova has only used sixty percent of its allotted residential space, with room for another seven Pilgrimages of one thousand individuals, and that’s using our current one family, one property model of expansion. Doubling or tripling up using proposed apartment-style buildings could easily extend the viability of our living space to as many as a further twenty Pilgrimages, giving us two decades to resecure the quarry or find new sources of meteoric iron. At present, the iron’s best usage is in creating new alloys for technology such as communications masts, plexes, and computers, not in laying piping and electrical lines for a new settlement that won’t be inhabited for another five Pilgrimages </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, shit, this is gonna take a while, isn’t it?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek and Stiles walk along one of the major thoroughfares of the colony, each sipping from a milkshake made at the colony’s largest diner. “So,” Derek asks, “How’s Scott?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dead on his feet from cleaning out latrines for ten hours every day for the last week, but it’s what he gets for being an idiot. How are Boyd and Erica?” Stiles replies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugs. “Boyd is grateful modern medicine means their pretty little faces won’t be scarred up for the rest of their lives, and Erica is stable. Isaac’s downright pissed that Mom, er, the commander, has him back under our roof for the next month.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The new colonist looks at his date with a bemused grin. “You can call her your mom, that’s what she is, after all.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but, there’s like this… </span>
  <em>
    <span>perception </span>
  </em>
  <span>around her. She’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘The First Pilgrim’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>and all that crap, calling her Mom to anyone else just feels, I don’t know, off. Plus, she is my commanding officer, which is a whole other barrel of fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me guess,” Stiles begins, “Sometimes you guys forget when you are and aren’t off the clock?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it in one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They keep walking along, and Stiles audaciously slides his free arm around Derek’s waist. The blush on the older man’s face is downright priceless, and he’s helpless but to snicker at it. Nonetheless, Derek does the same, and the two lean against one another as they stroll through the late afternoon sunlight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s high summer in Terra Nova, and the days can be downright sweltering, but today brought a welcome overcast that cooled temperatures and cleared away just in time for the golden hour. The weather promises a pleasant evening, perfect for gathering around the fire pit or dancing in the market square to one of the countless performances that go on there in the warm months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you like to do when you aren’t a soldier, huh, Der?” Stiles asks. “Interesting guy like you has to have hobbies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, uh, streaming movies and music is a big one. There’s not really any sort of entertainment production around here, so we’re kinda stuck with the libraries that get beamed over every Pilgrimage. Same with books. I spend a lot of time outside, too.” He answers. “What about you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blushes, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’ve been taking hikes through the apple orchards. Otherwise, it’s been pretty much just reading and seeing you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I was just about to start one of the most important film series of the twentieth century, if you wanted to come by sometime and watch it with me?” Derek offers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What series is that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stiles, have you ever heard of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Star Wars?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Falling to the plush surface of the couch with an </span>
  <em>
    <span>oof, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Scott scrambles to remove the workboots from his aching feet. Meanwhile, he’s fairly certain that Isaac is dying on the floor of the walkway into the house. Since he’s still </span>
  <em>
    <span>technically </span>
  </em>
  <span>a minor and under the guardianship of Commander Hale, Isaac has been grounded back to the commander’s house, which is actually a very impressive space. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The house is easily the largest in Terra Nova, a sprawling three story estate set deep in a patch of trees that is fenced off to keep the property from being trespassed upon and constructed at the highest point in the colony. It’s built in the old world school of minimalism, featuring stark white exterior walls, a greyscale interior, a geometric design and enormous windows that look down over the rest of Terra Nova, offering a stunning panorama of the whole circle of the settlement and the enormous central fields where the food is grown and the livestock are raised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac groans from where he unlaces his own filthy boots. “Ugh… I’m gonna reek of shit for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>week.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t fucking remind me,” Scott grumbles, “I can’t believe Hale gave us public latrine duty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t say </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘duty’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>ever again.” He shudders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a moment of silence before the newcomer speaks. “At least we aren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>in the med center. I can’t believe they had to put Erica into a medically-induced coma.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Talia said they were weaning her off the drugs today, actually. Shouldn’t be more than another day or two before she wakes up.” He responds. “Boyd’s still getting PT on his leg after the nykos slashed the tendons in his knee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In better news, the fibrin glue means they won’t look like julienne salads when they do get out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tilts his head in concession. “Well, true. I guess not having any physical scars from the ordeal </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> be helpful. Still, they’re goddamned foolish for running off in the first place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two boys quickly scramble to shower off the stench of public refuse from themselves before collapsing back onto the sofa in the living space, flicking on the holo that sits on a display across from the couch and setting it to television mode. Isaac scrolls through the massive assortment of shows and movies before picking something at random and turning to Scott. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” He begins, “What did Scott Stilinski wanna do with his life before he came to Jurassic Park?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the Cretaceous, dude, how do you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever, it’s a reference. Just answer the question.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scott pauses for a moment, thinking to himself and realizing that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>lie and give a fairly standard answer, like being a cop like his father or a doctor like his mother, but something about Isaac makes him want to be honest, which is precisely what he does. “I didn’t think I’d live long enough to do anything with my life.” He says quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, any trace of humor evaporates from his companion’s face, and Isaac straightens himself up, leaning closer to him as he lays a hand on his knee. “That’s pretty fucking bleak.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s the truth, though. It’s funny how normal it all seems when it’s all you’ve ever known, but coming here, seeing the way the world </span>
  <em>
    <span>used </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be? It makes you realize just how badly we fucked up back home.” He answers. “I personally knew seven kids who died from lung problems at my school. There were probably a hundred more who I didn’t know. Then there was the Eastern Secession War, and things got </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad after that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never really found out the deal with that. What happened to cause another civil war?” He asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scott swallows. “The Mojave Desert started expanding, and the Dust Bowl in the Midwest got a lot worse. Eventually, the government managed to stop it at the Mississippi River, which meant that everywhere that was still at least somewhat habitable was in the east. Almost all of the country’s food and water was coming from there, and eventually the demand got to be too much. The eastern states said that the west needed to invest in giant underground and dome farms like they were instead of trying to terraform the land back, and the west refused. They cut us off, and things spiraled from there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” Isaac responds rather bleakly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was a kid. Didn’t really stick to me that what was happening was important until my dad got drafted into the war towards the end of it.” He returns. “After that, I was too busy trying not to choke to death to really pay attention to current events.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nods. “Understandable. My uh, my whole family died in the outbreak of sincillic fever three winters ago. We lost almost a quarter of the colony, which is why the Seventh and Eighth Pilgrimages were so beefed up compared to the others. Commander Hale personally took me in, since there weren’t many orphans left when the epidemic ended.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not? Were there not a lot of kids here then?” Scott wonders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Isaac shakes his head, “There weren’t many orphans because if someone in your family got it, your entire family usually died within a week.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Fuck.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He draws out the F, sounding rather shell-shocked. “I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. You know, my dad said he was glad to die breathing clean air and seeing blue skies. I imagine that was the logic a lot of people had.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nods his head in agreement. “I know if I die soon, I’ll die pretty happy. When you’re staring down the long barrel of choking to death on toxic air, and then suddenly you’re just like everyone else, well, I guess I’m just grateful for even a week of this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh,” Isaac says, smiling wryly, “Has it really only been a week since you got here? Feels like it’s a lot longer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s just because we’ve spent every day since we met cleaning up ten thousand people’s shit, dude.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fair point.” He laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s our little patient?” Kali asks, leaning against the bamboo railing on the treetop village they’ve constructed deep in the jungles, far from Terra Nova.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Resting comfortably. Gave me quite a scare, but I’m confident that he’ll recover.” The doctor returns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks at him, raising a brow. “Up his dosage, Valack. Need I remind you that if he dies, we lose the only leverage we have on our friend on the inside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you gave me enough time,” Gabriel begins, “I could enrich the compound and cure him, and then you don’t have to worry about your hostage taking a turn for the worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then our spy has every incentive to run to Hale and tell her everything, including that big brother is all better and safe to bring back to the colony. As long as he’s sick, we have him over a barrel and we have a way to keep striking at their convoys.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He bristles. “I took an oath. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘First, do no harm,’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>this? </span>
  </em>
  <span>This is harm, Kali, and we both know it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kali looks at him with fury blazing in her rich brown eyes. “And I took an oath to Peter, in exchange for getting back to my daughter. If you don’t feel comfortable with continuing the treatment regimen, you can step aside and let someone who does take over, no hard feelings.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And let one of your trigger-happy idiots overdose him and screw </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything </span>
  </em>
  <span>up? Absolutely not.” Valack spits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then shut up and do as you’re told.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, Kali marches into the hut behind them, crouching down and taking in the sight of the ailing man on the bed. He’s pretty, even unconscious and drenched in sweat. His curly hair is just a shade closer to blonde than brown, and his pale features are sharp and symmetrical. He’s a mirror of his little brother, really. It’s almost scary how close they are in appearance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay strong,” She instructs to the sleeping figure, “We need you alive for this all to work, Camden.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter, John finally gets to do what he does best, which lands him and Claudia in some pretty hot water when they investigate an outpost's sudden radio silence, while Scott, feeling strapped for cash, meets a boss of... disputed repute. Stiles and Derek go old-fashioned even by Cretaceous standards, Liam has an adventure in the science labs, and Marin squares off with Kali over possession of something that may be key for the survival of the Sixers.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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